Olly Richards

Find people you enjoy speaking to, and speak with them as much as possible. You need to be using the language for real purposes, or you won’t get anywhere fast.

Jane Eggers

My ultimate tip is to make it real: find a real and immediate reason to communicate in the language you are learning. The very best way to do that is to go to a country where the language is spoken, but you can also do it by reading articles about subjects that interest you, learning the lyrics of songs you like, exchanging e-mails with someone you have a common interest with, trying out recipes, and so on. If you have a real (or close to real) need, the learning will come naturally.

Guilherme Castro

The ultimate tip from the bottom of my heart is: enjoy the process. I also like to dream about the day when I will be speaking the language as if I was a native. Sometimes I close my eyes and start imagining that. That is cool. But people should learn to enjoy the process of learning. The process of learning is beautiful. I can remember the first time I understood an entire video on English. I was so excited and emotional that I almost cried. The first time I finished reading a novel on Japanese I was so proud of myself. The first time I talked for 30 minutes with a Japanese friend and we laughed and enjoyed the conversation I kept smiling for days remembering that moment and thinking how my entire days studying Japanese in the past were worthy. Being able to notice our progress is a magical sensation that pays your effort. The first sentence you understand is like a new trip to a new world. Listen to a song and out of nowhere notice that you understand the lyrics. Those moments are all so beautiful! I am sounding too much poetical, but that is all true. So I encourage everyone to enjoy their Language Learning trip and keep in their memories those beautiful moments that language acquisition gives to us.

Kirsty Major

Have fun! If you enjoy doing something, you will do it willingly and you will go over and above what you “should” be doing because you want to do it. Find activities that you enjoy and build them into your language learning programme. Find people with whom you enjoy spending time who can also speak that language.